Students that have taken an AP Physics class with Christopher Martineau are very likely to have heard recollections of his previous jobs, or are at least aware that he has had some bizarre life experiences. While it is common knowledge that he is employed at Jackson-Reed, few may be aware of his additional teaching job after school, and his past esoteric occupations have remained a mystery until now.
From janitoring at a nursing home to assistant managing various retail stores, Martineau’s done it all. His most fun job was being a PA announcer for the Providence Bruins Ice Hockey Team in Rhode Island. He enjoyed it because he was able “to be live, on the ice, between the penalty boxes, making the calls, watching the fights, watching them check each other on the best seats in the house for free.” He described the job as “really hectic but a [ton] of fun.”
One of Martineau’s most unparalleled jobs was being a wedding DJ. Martineau described that he “was the guy that would introduce the bride and groom for the first time, the wedding party, and then all the traditional stuff like the cutting of the cake [and] the father daughter dance.” While being a wedding DJ is certainly unique, Martineau expressed that it was “one of those jobs that was fun at first and then after a while I [was] like this is just terrible. People at weddings can be very annoying! I don’t wanna deal with bridezillas.”
For his least favorite job, Martineau decided it was a tie between RadioShack and the Men’s and Women’s clothing store. While Martineau was the assistant manager at the clothing store, a new manager came in and “would make us redo the store everyday, just because it was slow.” Martineau explained that RadioShack was terrible “a) because I don’t know anything about technology and b) you get paid nothing.” Fortunately, RadioShack and Martineau’s days of being an assistant manager are a thing of the past.
Martineau’s favorite job is his current one. Reflecting on his time as a student, he described “times in class when I wasn’t getting it, and then there’s that moment when you do, and it gives me a rush. I want to be the conduit for other students to have that moment.” He also noted that the experiences he has been given in DC are an improvement from those he had elsewhere. He recounted an experience he had at a nursing home, where a patient with dementia called him Satan because he had a beard. On a positive note, the patience Martineau has acquired from prior jobs has made for an excellent physics teacher.
